Making a success of customer service through multilingualism, use of native language and plain language, fluent interpretation and dialogic practice

Are you planning multilingual communications, a brochure or other material for immigrants? Do you provide guidance to immigrants in choosing their integration language? What should you consider in Customer Service when encountering immigrants?

Multilingual information, guidance and counselling services, online and digital services, the use of plain language, fluent interpretation and dialogic Customer Service that addresses the customer's circumstances are essential aspects of integration and the reception of refugees. 

The Customer Service encounter is based on many factors, such as the background and circumstances of the immigrant customer, their need for psychosocial support, need for an interpreter, level of Finnish/Swedish language competence, stage of life, professional qualifications, and level of education. An integration and refugee reception professional who encounters customers plays a key role in supporting the smooth process and success of integration and settling in a municipality, especially from the immigrant customer’s point of view.

In Customer Service, the professional's work is supported by their competence in the dialogic service approach, language and cultural awareness, knowledge of spoken and written plain language, and awareness of the possibility of using interpretation and various digital and online services to improve the customer service experience.

It is a good idea to use the customer's mother tongue or their first language of integration if possible – in Finland, the language of integration can be Swedish or Finnish. If a common language cannot be found, you should prepare in good time for working with an interpreter.

These Language and Customer pages provide support for encountering customers and information on multilingual services, guidance and social orientation, plain language, integration using Swedish, interpreting services and the dialogic model for customer encounters. The contents of this section are being updated.